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Fact File, Tanks of the USSR, 1917-1945

This very affordable book provide a wealth of information on full period from the October Revolution to the end of World War II for the Red Army armoured capability. The photographs are very interesting an include some that have suffered from the conditions at the time they were shot and subsequent storage, but provide important imagery. Highly Recommended.

NAME: Fact File, Tanks of the USSR, 1917-1945FILE: R2656AUTHOR: Alexander LudekePUBLISHER: Pen & SwordBINDING: soft backPAGES: 127PRICE: £12.99GENRE: Non FictionSUBJECT: WWII, World War Two, Second World War, World War 2, armour,
tanks, light tanks, medium tanks, heavy tanks, assault guns, tracked
vehicles Christie road wheels, amphibious tanks, Revolutionary wars,
inter-war yearsISBN: 1-47389-137-XIMAGE: B2656.jpgBUYNOW: http://tinyurl.com/ybftpe2nLINKS: DESCRIPTION: This very affordable book provide a wealth of
information on full period from the October Revolution to the end
of World War II for the Red Army armoured capability. The
photographs are very interesting an include some that have
suffered from the conditions at the time they were shot and
subsequent storage, but provide important imagery. Highly Recommended.The USSR began with a collection of domestic armoured car designs
and copies of Renault light tanks. The Imperial Russian Army had
prompted domestic tanks designs as early as August 1914 with the
interesting Wesdechod that employed a unique single track and
combined armour with a machine gun. However, Russia was not an
enthusiastic pioneer of the use of armour to break trench lines.
This was due to a number of factors, including the low morale of
the Imperial Army and the growing threat of revolution.The USSR took a very different stance and the acquisition of
foreign designs and production of indigenous designs was very
actively encouraged. There was also much experimentation and some
design work that reflected the special conditions in terrain in
Russia. This produced a number of light armoured vehicles that
were amphibious with balsa wood floats and flotation tanks to
cope with the numerous rivers that presented mobility challenges
in the summer months. Considering the need to make advances across
huge open spaces, speed was considered important and led to the
adoption of Christie suspension on many designs. Originally,
Christie considered the use of large rubber tired road wheels and
steering on the front wheels that would enable a tank to operate
on its tracks or directly as an armoured car on its tired road
wheels. The merits of the latter ability were found to have little
value, but the well-sprung large road wheels did provide excellent
fast movement across a range of terrain types.As with many items of war equipment, the quality of finish on
Russian tanks was not of the finest and during WWII tanks often
rolled off the production lines without paint and straight into
battle. The cruder construction did however suit local conditions
and Russian tanks were to prove much more reliable in the harsh
conditions during WWII that defeated technically superior, high
build quality, German tanks. The Russians embraced some British tanks, notably the Matilda
infantry tank and the Armoured (Bren gun) Carrier, in much the same
way that their Air Force took to the Hurricane and the Airacobra,
designs that the Western Allies considered obsolescent, but which
the Russians used to great effect. This reflected some tactics
developed by the Russians to best match their operational conditions.This books includes coverage of the Russia development of multi-
turreted designs and the excellent T-34 and KV1 that came as an
unpleasant surprise for the Germans.